


Friends

by Jodie



Category: due South
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-12 09:13:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16870204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jodie/pseuds/Jodie
Summary: thoughts on a long and close friendship





	Friends

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dogsled](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dogsled/gifts).



I don’t have many memories of my mother. She died when I was only six years old. My earliest memory of her is when she was teaching me how to brush my teeth. I was very small, and I brushed my face more than my teeth. I remember her laughing, and I turned to look at up her standing tall above me. I didn’t understand why she laughed, but I felt delighted by her happiness, and I remember laughing, too. She scooped me up in strong arms. She smelled like soap and the stew we had for dinner. It is a happy memory. I felt safe with her.

 

I don’t have many memories of my mother. She died when I was a new pup. My earliest memory of her is of feeding time. I remember the warmth of my litter mates’ bodies as we crowded around her to nurse. My sisters and I were sheltered in the curve of her strong body, and felt the rise and fall of her breathing. I remember the smell of her flesh, mingled with the scent of her milk, and the softness of her fur. It is a happy memory. I felt safe with her.

 

Diefenbaker met me before I met him. I was on patrol, fell into a trap, and hit my head. I lost consciousness and was unaware that he was in the hole with me, but he cuddled up to me and kept me warm until I came around. I had been around dogs all my life, but his protectiveness was astonishing in a pup that young. When I boosted him up to get him out of the hole, he came right back to me. We’ve been together ever since. I never became attached to another creature so quickly as I did with Diefenbaker.

 

When I met Benton, I was separated from the other wolves. I got trapped in a hole, and I was scared and alone. My only thought was for myself. Then Benton fell in, too. He was injured, and had no fur to keep him warm. I knew I had to take care of him, even though I was very young. I always stayed away from humans before, until I found Benton. When he lifted me up so I could get out, I wouldn’t leave him. We’ve been together ever since. I never became attached to anyone so quickly as I did with Benton.

 

I started calling him Diefenbaker. His dignity and stubbornness made him a suitable namesake for the Prime Minister. At first, I just amused myself with the name, but soon enough I identified it more with the pup than with the historical figure. Even after he lost his hearing, he somehow taught himself to read my lips, and he understood that it was his name. He learned several words, including my name.

 

I didn’t know about human names at the start, but I would go to work with him, and when we were around other people they called my companion by the words Benton or Fraser. I didn’t really understand at first, but I came to realize that humans used words instead of smells for identity. Soon enough I understood these strange words meant the man who was my friend, and that he had a word that meant me. He called me Diefenbaker.

 

It is easy to see, looking at Dief, that there’s more dog to him than wolf. I suspect one of his grandparents was a wolf, but it could even have been the generation before that. He chooses to identify as a wolf, though, and I respect that. After all, I have Scots and German ancestry, but I identify as Canadian. I gave him his name. but his identity is his own.

 

Benton cares about something called nationality. He calls himself Canadian, and our city friends are American. They have flags that mark places that are Consulates and Police Stations and belong to this or that group of people. They all smell like people, so they must use the flags to tell them apart. Humans can be confusing, caring about the strangest things. I really can’t tell the difference, but I accept that Benton does.

 

I have dear friends. Ray and Ray put their safety and their jobs on the line for me time after time. Nonetheless, Diefenbaker is the most loyal friend I have ever had. Like Ray, he shed blood defending me from enemies, and traveled great distances to keep me safe. Like Ray, he comforts me when I’m low, and chides me when I’m not thinking clearly. I’ve never had a friendship that lasted this long.

 

I have dear friends. Maggie bore pups with me, and Ante is always welcoming. Elaine gives me treats and ear scratches. Nonetheless, Benton is the most loyal friend I have ever had. Even though he chides me when he thinks I’m wrong (and he’s always mistaken about that) he comforts me when I’m low. He is always part of my pack.

 

I try to keep my emotions in check. When they show, it's more often exasperation than affection. When I was in the hospital, and jealous at his freedom while I was stuck in bed, I called Diefenbaker an ingrate, but he was not fooled. He stayed with me in the hospital and wouldn’t leave, and I am deeply grateful. Diefenbaker knows I care.

 

When my emotions show it's more often exasperation than affection. I turn away and pretend to feel miffed. When Benton goes into a restaurant with his friends and leaves me outside with only tempting smells for company, I get jealous and sulky. Benton isn’t fooled. I always get my share of food eventually. Benton knows we are packmates.

 

We lie in our room, Diefenbaker on the mattress and I on my bedroll. We sense each other’s presence in the darkness, and we each are soothed to know that the other is there. This is safety. This is comfort. This is our friendship.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my beta reading for her insights.


End file.
